” All difficult things have their origin in that which is easy, and great things in that which is small”

Lao Tzu

My first trip to China was 29 years ago.

I remember Chinese people only using dark blue and green military uniforms. There were almost no cars and most would move around with black bicycles making a hell of a noise with their bells, that made our nights impossible to sleep.

I also remember at them staring at me with absolutely no manners which I found terribly uncomfortable and somehow scary. Later our guide explained that they had never seen blue eyes and fair hair before coming across with me, that they were as surprised as me guarantying that it was a completely innocent look.

When having a Chinese breakfast in old Peking (now Beijing) I asked the  hotel housekeeper why I would only find military propaganda on TV , no love stories, soap operas , and reinforced  the concept asking a second question ” Where do you keep your libido, your desires  after all?”  The answer had been very clear: Pointing a finger in her forehead, the young woman replied in a dry authoritarian tone “  We keep it  here, side by side with the revolution!”

I was very young at that time, and watching early morning Tai – Chi Chuan practices everywhere we went, left me a strange sense of these people lack of individuality, manners, and powerless cultural imprisonment. Never in the whole world I would even imagine what could have been instead a message of automated spirituality.

As I grew older, on my way back, life knocked at my door with different challenges, harsh adjustments and a bowl plenty of dissatisfaction.

The dreams I though were easy to reach needed more work, the people that I thought would be easy to live with turned to be sometimes unmerciful opponents, the surrounding cultures I assimilated  during the years were far from familiar with the one I grew up with.

For several years, trying to understand the laws of life, and of my own , I cultivated my home garden like Voltaire,  on a hilltop of the hectic city where I lived,  as a sort of temporary retirement every afternoon up to sunset.

Tai-Chi Chuan became my  ultimate raison-d’etre ;  I  slowly started  to get more acquainted about the Inner and subtle movement of mother Yin in conjunction to Yang ;  Suddenly it was all strangely fitting into place, awareness of the present moment made true physical sense to me.

While witnessing birds sang among trees, and  fresh hilltop breeze caressed my face, I found myself   ” Waving Hands Like Clouds ” ,  “Tossing , Shaking and Parting the Horse’s Mane” , ” Spreading Wings like the White Crane” ” Piking the Needle for the Bottom Of The Sea ” ” Flashing  the Arms like a Fan“  ” Stepping Back and Repulsing Monkey” “Hitting the Opponent with Two Fists”,  reconnecting at last with my apparently lost Oneness and  inner Emptiness. The city heavy traffic from  far,  was surprisingly no longer,  a threat to me.

Several years have passed since that fresh glimpse of  ‘ Temporary Eternal enlightenment” .

In Manhattan this weekend I decide after a wonderful Tunisian Couscous at Cafe Gitane, to go to the movies to watch the Karate Kid remake. Grabbing headlines, the film has been a huge hit since its release last week.

Bullies have their eyes and fists on 12-year-old Dre (Jaden Smith) after he and his mom (Taraji P. Henson) move from Detroit to Beijing. Luckily Dre’s maintenance man (Jackie Chan, who shouldn’t be fighting kids) is also a kung fu master willing to teach Dre discipline and the art of defending himself.

The Karate Kid” maintains the original’s sense of loneliness in a new place and the mental and physical oppression of bullying . Of course, isn’t out to acknowledge—and reinforces Asian stereotypes when Dre says, “It’s China, mom; everybody knows kung fu.”

The movie takes place in China. Some beautiful scenes are shot in normally inaccessible locations as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City but the ones in the stunning mountains landscape of the old Province of Henan, located in the eastern central part of the country caught my breath.

The moment you arrive in a monasteries peak where” real Kun Fu“  was thought by  Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) ’s father,  you  come to learn about the secret of victory over the world , now physically at your feet.

The form of meditation is called “Chan” or “Zen“.

Meditation also allows one to focus his inner energy into his actions. The Japanese call this Chi, and many Westerners have heard of it. The Chinese, however, call it Kiai. Kiai allows a Kung Fu student to do things their physical body alone cannot do.

Developing control over your Kiai is a matter of intense mental strength and conditioning. While some people may scoff at the idea of Kiai, and it is true that it might be more of a mind over matter application than an actual force, but Chinese Kung Fu masters has demonstrated their control over their Kiai by doing physical feats that would otherwise be impossible.

Shaolin monks would prepare their minds to withstand the most terrible conditions so that when faces with those conditions in the real world, they would be prepared instead of shocked. Knowing that you have the mental toughness and readiness instills a confidence that allows you to go into any situation ready to act without hesitating. Self doubt is the number one way to be defeated before the enemy has even thrown a punch.

Shaolin Kung fu is not just about defending yourself against an attacker or inflicting bodily harm. Shaolin martial arts also stress discipline, respect for yourself and others, patience, and being humble even in victory. The mental training of Shaolin martial arts helps prepare the student for any events that may come.

Being physically prepared for an alteration is good, but if you are not mentally prepared you will not be focused enough to use the tools that your body has. This is why Shaolin meditation is such an important part of the Shaolin martial arts training. Meditation may not be literally practicing your physical tools, but it allows your mind to make better use of those tools.

Keeping cool in a self defense situation is one of the best ways to ensure you will survive. Tough mental preparedness allows the body to be pushed beyond its physical limits.

Out bodies can only do so much, but our minds allow for much greater feats. I am sure you have heard of “mind over matter” and the truth is that it works. When the Shaolin added mental training to their physical training the result was that their martial arts system obviously surpassed all others in application and practical results.

Kung fu Shaolin monks practiced Chinese martial arts not just for self defense , but as a way of life intended to benefit them on a physical, mental and spiritual level. In times of hardship, such as the financial crisis that we are facing now, this knowledge helps us cope with our modern fast paced lives that lead to stress and anxiety.

The legend of the Shaolin temple and its Shaolin martial monks was first born around the year 540 AD, when the Indian monk Bodhidarma traveled to China to see the emperor. Bodhidarma introduced to the Shaolin monks eighteen movements derived from traditional Indian Yoga.

This was designed to increase their physical and mental strength as well as the flow of Chi energy. It was these eighteen movements that would become kung fu (KF) as we know it today, after being perfected and expanded for nearly 1,500 years.When Bodhidarma introduced Kun Fu to the Shaolin monks, it was to build their mental and physical strength to prevent them from falling asleep during meditation.

When we look at the story of Shaolin, we see the benefits that Kun Fu was originally intended to give us.

KF has been constantly perfected and built upon over the centuries, creating the vast array of styles and variations that we know today. One of the most popular styles today is called Hung Kuen, which is a style based upon the original Southern style of Shaolin Kung fu.

Although KF has changed over time and often become more focused on the ‘martial’ side of things, the core messages and philosophy remain the same as what Bodhidarma taught the Shaolin monks nearly 1,500 years ago.

Kung fu incorporates not only Buddhist philosophy, but also the philosophy of Taoism (pronounced ‘Daoism’). The teachings of the founder of Taoism, Lao Tzu and his manuscript the ‘Tao Te Ching’ have been incorporated into the teachings of KF, teaching us how to live in harmony with nature and within ourselves.

Over the centuries, Shaolin monks incorporated many different animal styles into their KF, On his journey from India to China, the Bodhidharma developed a fighting system based on his observations of the way animals fought in the wild. Arriving at the Shaolin Temple, he put the monks to work learning his fighting system. The animal styles became so numerous that the virtues of all animal styles had to be summed up, hence the five animals of Kung fu. These are:

The tiger , representing power and ferocity Shaolin tiger style kung fu is direct, powerful and decisive. Since tigers have no predators, tiger kung fu is all offense. The crane , representing speed and fluidity, relies on elegance, patience and evasion. Crane kung fu allows an opponent to use their energy to defeat themselves. The snake , representing speed and accuracy, strikes are lightning quick, like a snake biting an enemy. The leopard , teaching us to use our heads and to think in our fighting , and the dragon relies on internal strength and power. It utilizes soft, circular motions that coalesce into sudden destructive power, representing the mastery of all styles, thus making them one.

Through mastering the different animal styles one can achieve a balance in our training. A balance between power and speed, between soft and hard, between ferocity and calmness. This balance is carried forth into our daily lives, helping us to create a perfect harmony between ourselves and others in our lives.

Kung fu training is designed to not only help the individual with his self defense, but to build our fitness, focus, discipline and confidence.

Through KF training, eight wisdoms of KF are thought : respect, loyalty, tolerance, perseverance, patience, dignity, humility and honor.

These wisdoms  are of help not only for the training, but also to be successful in everything that we do In our  fast paced lives  that often  cause us  stress and anxiety – goes without saying in times of hardship such as the financial crisis that we are facing now.

I look nostalgic at old photos taken almost 30 years ago in particular one of myself  in a light green scarf and a red sweater visiting a communist China before the Coca Cola regime.  Such a long ago….

I stare inquisitively at those pictures depicting children with colorful coats wandering what else I could learn from their country, such a giant player with a voluntarily an erased past…The answer to my question comes almost instantaneously as my eyes in disbelief are reading an article from last week  Telegraph  that says- quote: ”

” The temple in central Henan province, famous as the birthplace of kung fu, has established an eBay-style store selling Shaolin branded merchandise on China’s TaoBao auction site.
The site is operated by Shaolin Zhiye, the temple’s commercial arm, which is behind an array of ventures exploiting the Shaolin legend, including film productions, touring martial arts shows and even a reality-TV program.

The site does not offer the secrets of immortality but for 10,000 yuan (1,450 dollars), fans can buy a three-volume set of kung-fu and medical secrets. More modest offerings include a wristband and environmentally-friendly chopsticks.
Despite their name, critics say, the temple’s current occupants are not genuine Shaolin monks because the spiritual side of their art has been replaced by crass commercialism.

The venture into the world of e-commerce is the latest involving Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the monastery who has developed a reputation for clever financial dealings.

He has been criticized for accepting a brand new luxury car for his services to the local tourist industry but supporters say he has done much to popularize the town, which has more than 80 martial arts clubs and schools with around 50,000 students.”

Amused I finally reflect on my past fears, the ones that unconsciously haunt my sleep and the Shaolin monks unusual fresh marketing activities…

Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) , the karate Kid’s master would respond about the ghosts in my mind:  ” Face them, fight them, friend them!” . And, no doubts my dear friends…. this is real Kun fu!

Joelle’s Tips:

Sources: The Daily Telegraph /  E-how / Golden Lion Academy of Kun fu / Shaolin Gun Fu Institute / China Travel /

The Movie: The Karate Kid

The Academies in China: Travel  Study Kun fu at the The Shaolin Temple /  Study Tai Chi Chuan Taijiquan (tai chi or taiqi) or Shaolin Gongfu at Buddhist Temple

The Academy in India :  Study Yoga in the Hymalaya

My thanks for the contribution of All Right Reserved  copyrighted pictures courtesy of: Rick Archer ( landscape) ,  2010 Sony Pictures Digital Inc. (Karate Kid ) ,  About.com Can Chu Getty Images , Wikipedia Coomon rights ( Pagoda) /Larique ( Chaolin Kun Fu)    Sanmenxia & Luoyang, (Burn Incense) ,

I just spoke to Anne -Sophie on the phone. We are set for Wednesday afternoon. It was not very easy to convince her that even if I am doing the Brussels edition, it would be so nice if I had the opportunity  to show my readers around the world the impressive castle of ‘s-Gravenwezel and private residence  of Mr Axel Vervoordt since 1986.

Having been there several times, this season was just perfect to take amazing pictures and  finally check the newly renovated rooms.  ” Mr Vervoordt will not be able to receive you this time Joelle as he is on his way with his son Boris to the New York antique show” I insist that I don’t mind at all  to go by myself or with my dad, and that I will tell my sister ( who is also and interior designer) and lives in New York to pay him a visit at this stand.

” We should be even like this” I kid with Anne -Sophie, after all, the advantage of being globally connected can open many doors  especially those of an extremely charming and aristocratic castle in the heart of a wonderful green region between  he cities of Brussels and Antwerp.

Regarded as one of the most original and adventurous collectors and dealers of our time, Axel Vervoordt rightly considers himself an eclectic collector and dealer, who treasures the timeless and disdains the trendy. Apart from having friends in common, for several years now I have personally  been a devoted admirer of Axel Verdvoodt work.

His taste spans centuries, continents and economic strata, and his profound knowledge of this history of fine and applied arts has led him to create spaces in which his juxtaposition of objects from vastly different eras and cultures makes a strong and impressive statement on present and future interior taste. These juxtapositions should inspire contemplation and thus mental liberty. It’s a beautiful day, we are driving on an alley full of green trees, it feels still like the end of Summer with a fresh breeze caressing the leaves.

This time we made no mistakes, the map sent by Anne- Sophie was just perfect. At our right an impressive iron gate opens it’s doors at the sound of my voice to a small microphone, maybe the only tech object in a distance of hundreds of miles. By the way I separated our visit with sections titled with the name of the rooms forming an itinerary, not all rooms are present though.

Reception Room ( Other Building)

An old gentlemen dressed as an elegant gardener leads us the way to a small reception room decorated with just a two seats antique English country seats, and an enormous fireplace under which two people can easily sit with comfortable armchairs and have dinner in the winter by the fire. And nothing else than silence. Just because of the coziness of this room I am so exited to be back in this place.

Hall ( Casle Ground Floor)

Anne- Sophie finally arrives and very kindly worried that in two hours we will not be able to visit the whole place since I have to bring my photographic equipment. I laugh and tell her that I just have a small digital Cannon  and that we will just be fine. In the meantime we enter the castle from the landing of the elegant two-sided stairs, into a vast and elegant hall  that gives us a warm welcome. It’s walls are painted in a warm yellow fresco-technique utilizing pigments of the ‘S-Gravenwezel soil.

Axel Vervoort’s Study

Always in the ground floor we now arrive at the study of Axel Vervoordt which first impresses with the complicated patterns of its French parquet. Here he works and seeks inspiration, surrounded by classical dignity, the warm colors of English furniture, and by numberless books on proportion, architecture, art and decoration.

Musical Room

Anne- Sophie is a perfect guide, she leaves us just the right time to appreciate every single object in owe and then discretely proceeds into the next room formerly ‘musical’ space that was transformed into a conference room. A beautiful mahogany dining table usually serves as conference table, the walls are decorated with prominent Italian Fruit-still lives, modern paintings or tapestries.

Library

This is a a very inspiring room holding pieces from all centuries, made by all kinds of people. Inside the library one can see 16th century German turned ivory cups, Daumier-sculptures, Gothic reliefs, Louis XIV Aumonières etc… creating a real “cabinet de curiosités”.  ” The library’s fireplace  is a contemplative space, with Lucio Fontana’s 1959 painting Concetto Spaziale, which suggests man’s ascent into the heavens, and a circular Pi jade (770-221 B.C.) representing heaven. Axel likes to find refuge when he needs to find inspiration”- I am told by Anne- Sophie.

Chapel

A beautiful Rococo chapel situated in the North-Eastern tower. It was adapted into a this white stuccoed style by Jan Pieter van Baurscheit during the renovation campaign in the first half of the 18th century. The chapel is inaugurated and used for private events.

Dining Room

From the beautiful chapel filled with a large collection of baroque and chamber music from  the beginning of the century, we arrive in the dining room. It’ fresh, inviting and holds an atmosphere full of history due to  hundreds of pieces of Ming China, exposed on the walls  and discovered in a shipwreck by captain ‘Hatcher’ in the South China seas. The room stands out because of the wonderful harmony between the white floors, walls and furniture and the pale-blue shine on the porcelain.

Kitchen

Among my favorite rooms in the castle. A grand Louis XV buffet dominates this bright kitchen where the walls are completely covered in white Delft tiles. A rustic trestle table gives that special extra touch that makes it an everyday kitchen where you can have breakfast overlooking the western part of the gardens and the water in front of the castle.

Let’s not forget the colorful pimentos, and warm Autumn fruits and vegetables harmoniously placed around the corridors of the pantry . The chef every morning picks in the garden everything he needs for the day’s dish and the family makes  a point to have a healthy organic and fat- free nutrition.

Baskets of all sizes  visibly used wait quietly to be picked and filled with fresh tangerines, bananas and seasonal mushrooms.The plates are of a beautiful Japanese brown glaze and the trays are in tin and old silver looking like they are coming from a  kitchen from a Brugel  painting.

Wicker Cellar

Going down some stairs from the kitchen we arrive into a small circular room with brick floors and loopholes, previously the ideal place for defending the castle against unwanted visitors. Nowadays it is an intimate room for small candlelight diners with a select group of people.

Original Kitchen and Tower Cellar

You can see from the photos the room is extremely warm and charming .

We are now going up to the first floor of the castle. I enjoy playing with  the views from the staircase with my camera while Anne-Sophie amused cites Axel’s Vervoordt  three main strands of influence in his work.

The first- She says- is that of contemporary and oriental art and arte povera, which to him signifies the importance of a life of meditation, empty space, a love and respect of nature and of human existence.

Oriental Salon

As we arrive at the first floor in my favorite  and newly renovated room of the castle. The reason why I like it so much it’s is because of it’s very own identity, standing out from all others because of the Oriental ‘feel’ it breathes, like the Zen-philosophy.

Everything is brought back to basics and nature evoking a very serene atmosphere.

Looking through the light coming from the windows in the a minimally furnished drawing room,and at the cushions assembled on the rough and textured  floor, you can easily feel you are in a Katmandu monastery on the foothill of the Himalaya or in a Turkish house in the region of Anatolia with the difference that the modern art paintings on the walls and the  juxtaposition of natural shabbiness of the Occidental furniture makes his global but so local style so unique.

I love Zen houses … and I also admire Thai monasteries because even un-restored and empty they have a real aura of peace and beauty, and I also admire Thai monasteries because even un-restored and empty they have a real aura of peace and beauty,” writes Vervoordt in one of his publications.

Green Room

We are still in the first floor of the castle. Stunned by the beautiful Oriental Salon, I had completely forgotten that we were talking with Anne -Sophie regarding the second  main strands of influence in Axel’s Vervoord work; architecture, representing proportion, balance and harmony, such as one might find in an 18th century library and finally  the third strand is the baroque, either gilded and courtly, or more. But here we have arrived at the the green room…

This room shows very powerful objects like a Shigaraki vase, one of the earliest Zen ceramics from the 15th century and a sculpture of a head in volcanic stone, originating from the temple of Plao-Sam from the Borobodur-period.

Green Bathroom

Adjacent to the green room we could visit a breathtaking bathroom completely covered with Louis XV green polychrome paneling. The portrait of the daughter of George II from the collection of the Duke of Bedford by T. Gainsborough hangs above the bathtub inside a beautiful niche.(Very difficult light conditions to photograph.)

Red Room

We passed quickly through the Venus and Yellow rooms and bathrooms finally heading to the second floor of the Cassle and to the very Cozy Red room.

Formerly the bedroom of Boris. The walls are painted in a very warm red almost sang-de-boeuf color, which fits very well with the 17th century pieces of furniture and charming old wooden beams and floor.

Renaissance Tower

Finally before leaving the castle, in the Renaissance room in Classical English in style, lots of mahogany furniture and warm fabrics, 19th century portraits and a Charles X billiard table especially made for the castle. A Cottage style was created in the second part of the room.

Situated high in the tower, this small circular room with heavy walls has a beautiful view over the courtyard of the outer buildings. The masterpiece of this chamber is a very rare Renaissance four-poster bed from France.

Outer Buildings

Old Orangerie

We have left the castle and we are walking in the beautiful landscape arounf us until we arrive in my third favorite room, The Old Orangerie.

Five large semicircular windows appear to transport the garden into the interior.

Besides the luxuriant plants and flowers housed within, the orangery exhibits antiques and old garden furniture, monumental sculptures, frames etc…

Large Concert Room

The bright and spacious room has a wonderful view over the central court and the Eastern façade of the castle.It is used for Inspiratum - concerts and private banquets and can easily be transformed into an exhibition space.

Loft

This space reminds a lot of the typical lofts, stripped to the very essence. This room nowadays serves as the quarters of our real-estate department. It houses a remarkable collection of French 19th century Materproof mixed with modern paintings.

Tea House

At the very end of the pool the former sheep stable is now transformed into an idyllic tea-house. It’s high ceilings, bright light and crème coloured furniture and porcelain render this room into a small dream-house.

The New Orangerie

The only contemporary building on the domain. This Orangerie was newly build in the eighties, completely according to the authenticity of the surrounding buildings and with respect for old materials. During summertime it is completely decorated, filled with various flowers and plants.

The twin-towered castle, surrounded by greenery and a pretty moat, is open by appointment to serious buyers only (past shoppers include Venus Williams) – except for two days a year, when the doors are flung open to the public. It is an experience well worth waiting for. I hope you enjoyed the ride…Please stay connected and browse into the antique’s dealer latest project: The Kanaal Complex.

Joelle’s Tips:

The Antique dealer and Architect:  Axel Verdvoord

The services:

The Casstle: Kasteel van ’s Gravenwezel, St Jobsteenweg 64, 2970 ‘S Gravenwezel, Tel +32  3 658 1470

To my surprise I would never imagine that one of my favorite museums in the world would be found in the city of Brussels. The Musical Instruments Museum known today as MIM , has been part of the Royal Museum of Art and History since 1992.

Originally attached to the Brussels Royal Music Conservatory with the didactic purpose of showing early instruments to students, the MIM collection was created in 1877 with a collection of a hundred Indian instruments given to King Leopold II of Belgium by Rajah Sourindro Mohun Tagore in 1876 and the collection of the celebrated Belgian musicologist François-Joseph Fétis, purchased by the Belgian government in 1872 and put on deposit in the Conservatory, where Fétis was the first director.

Its first curator, Victor-Charles Mahillon, greatly expanded the already impressive collection so that, by the time of his death in 1924, the MIM consisted of some 3,666 articles, among which 3,177 were original musical instruments. He was noted of his astute judgments in obtaining these large augmentations by calling on philanthropists, mixing with erudite amateurs who sometimes became generous donors, and through friendly relations with Belgian diplomats in foreign posts, who sometimes brought back instruments from beyond Europe.

The museum’s current location, as of 2000, is in the former Old England department store, built in 1899 by Paul Saintenoy out of girded steel and glass in the Art Nouveau style as well as an eighteenth century neo-classic building designed by Barnabé Guimard. The former Old England was bought in 1978 , to be completely redeveloped to house the exhibition rooms, the reserve and the administration of the MIM. It is today without exceptions one of the most beautiful buildings in the city of Brussels.

I arrive running , escaping form a harsh and cold rain into the beautiful mosaic floored entrance. I tale my coat off, show my invitation letter from mr. Damien Filippi director of the press and public relations of the museum and a lady with white hair hands in my hands a headset asking me what language I speak. I ask myself why since it’s all music and no talking….Maybe because they say the language of music  is universal and knows no frontiers…Anyways,

With a large and a little ironic smile she tells me that it would be sad to see the instruments without hearing them ” The different themes of the exhibitions are illustrated by listening to works related to the instruments ob display. By means of these  infra-red head-phones, mademoiselle, you will be able to listen to about two hundred musical extracts, from Ancient Greece to the music of Varese of the middle of the 2o th Century. ” I wander why the lady asked the language questions if the headphones are only about music.

Without waiting for the answer I am set and very exited, I am ready to head to enter the magnificent Art Nouveau style elevator. The exhibition area has been arranged into an attractive path divided into ninety-odd themes over the four floors of the building reserved to visitors. Each floor is centered on a particular section: the ground floor shows popular instruments,from Belgium and Europe as well as extra-European instruments.

The first floor gives an historical tour, from antiquity to the 20th century: the second floor is presented more systematically showing the development of keyboard instruments. The basement shows the mechanical instruments,  20th century instruments and bells. In all about 1500 instruments are shown and more that 700 documents add to the information given on information boards available for visitors near each floor entrance.

I am listening with attention to the old lady’s  the last instructions: If I desire to listen to the music of a specific instrument  I will be required  to step on a small icon representing the headphones on the floor just in front of the exhibited  instrument. I have no words to describe that I feel just like a kid in front of wonderland of magical dreams.

And having said that I would like to offer you a seat  into of this musical voyage where I am sharing the  history and description of  instruments  from close and distant lands, that most touch my psyche.

The beauty of their craftsmanship of which I have always been sensitive to, and the harmony and purity of their sounds, evoke withing my spirit an unexplained  memory of a past aristocratic or a maybe a roundabout  gypsy life, translated today in vivid and colorful emotions into my present existence . I truly hope you’ll  enjoy the ride and suggest if you are in Brussels to do the same.

European Folk Instruments

There are some 270 instruments on display in this section all of them were part of the musical part of the common people. During the 1960, different regions in Europe started to become interested in their own musical traditions. It was above all in the Anglo-Saxon countries, as well as countries with Celtic heritage, that this tendency found an echo.  But formulating such a category ( Folk)  is somehow artificial as it is very difficult to draw a distinct line in music between Asia and Europe or the Caucaus, which are generally included in Asia, are real unifying forces between the musical cultures of the East and West.

This is the reason why they are all in the same floor. It would be though be true to say that the Folk often tend to keep instruments, or tend to enjoy types of music long after they have gone out of fashion in more elite circles. In other words bagpipes, -gurdies, lutes ( my favorites) and fiddles were once also heard in houses of the aristocracy.

Lutes and Fiddles, the journey form Asia to Europe

Much of the European richness of Folk instruments, giving honor where honor is due, is owed to the East.

Prior to the 8th century Europe would have probably  known small flutes, horns,trumpets and  without a neck such as harps and lyres.  Plucked stringed instruments on which the strings were held down and which had a neck extending from the sound box, ex the lute family,in the largest sense,were first seen more than 4.00 years ago with the Semites in Syria. These instruments reached the Mediterranean.

However they only really became established in Europe by the 8th century, thanks to contact with the Byzantine and Moorish cultures. The Lute family is divided in two main groups: The short necked lute and the long-necked one. The short necked derived form the Arab ud, played an important part in popular music during the Middle Ages, particularly in Western Europe.

Bu the Renaissance, however it had become a symbol of the bourgeoisie.The Romanian and Moldavian cobza is the only short-necked lute to have maintained a place in popular European music.

Different types of stringed Instruments

The Pluked Dulcimer: Probably coming from Scandinavia, in certain regions of Europe, it was  the only folk instrument played by women and young girls. This was associated mainly with the family and the home. It can be found in a large range of sizes and shapes.

Being quite a primitive instrument, the body is a rough is roughly fashioned from a single block of wood with two series of strings stretched to the length of the body. The Hungarian citera has often a second range of strings. Usually played on the knees or on a table with the fingers.

Similar stringed instruments are the tar a medieval fiddle survived mainly in the Balkans and the Greek islands since the 16 century and replaced by the violin, which is still one of the favorite instruments of the village musicians.The Russian psaltery, the gusli, the crwth, a type of welsh lyre.

The gardon which is often in the shape of a cello,is only played in Hungarian  Szekely community

The accordion:  a new comer

At the end of the 18th century musicians and physicians were fascinated by far Eastern mouth -organs. Like the Chinese cheng or the Japanese sho. From these curiosities a whole new family of free reed instruments was crated in the first decade of the 19th century. The free reed consists of a metal tongue in a frame which allows it to vibrate when blown. Their air source can be from a human mouth ( The harmonica) or a bellows ( the harmonium).

In 1829 the accordion was patented by a Viennese builder named Zynl Demian: It was the first accordion that had both melodic keys and keys that played chords. Between 1830 and 1860 Paris was the center of accordion making. In this period they were made by hand from sophisticated materials. They were exclusively for the wealthy classes.

At the end of the 19 century especially in Italy and Germany mass production was undertaken, The resulting drop in price took place as well as the possibility to play melodies harmonies bass lines and rhythms on an instrument requiring virtually no tuning or maintenance contributed to the instrument’s popularity, and it came to be used by the folk musicians throughout Europe, except in the Ottoman Empire.

The Hurdy-Gurdy : an instrument played by beggars and the blind.

Already in the 13th century, the Flemish author Jacob van Maerlant mentioned the hurdy-gundy in his Trojaenshe Oolog.

The first representation sof this instrument also dates form this period, but it was principally between the 16th and the 18th century that the hurdy-gundy took its place in folk music.

It consists of a sound box on which is fixed a rectangular key-box. It contains one of two sets of keys that slide fro back to front. Placed at right angle to their end are tangents that shorten the melodic string.

After having been touched and released, the key automatically returns to its initial position due to the instrument’s oblique playing position and helped by the string’s vibration. The instrument was often used by blind beggars. Hurdy-gurdy were rarely equipped with trompette, because of this many players were accompanied by a small boy playing a triangle to mark the rhythm.

Two Bass Viols

The  two exceptional  bass viols in the hall are first and foremost instruments sumptuously decorated.  The instruments attributed to Capar Tieffenbruker have a historical importance. The viol was apparently assembled for a collector at the beginning of the 19 century, from pieces of old instruments.The marvelous decoration represents a map of Paris in marquetry on the back of the instrument.

The second ( photo above) is not only a collectors’s object, but is also playable. Tielke ( 1641-1719) is considered to be the most famous viol maker of his time. His instruments,ofter magnificently decorated, are renowned for the quality of their sound.

Northern Italy Violins

From the end of the Middle Ages, the ring of the cities around the Alps played a dominant role in the development of instrumental music. Initially the main activity was that of the musicians of Southern Germany, whereas in the 16 th century, the itinerant and town musicians of Italy, especially in the regions from Milan and Venice, had more influence. Venice itself, thanks to its great period of political and economic stability and prosperity attracted musicians and instrument builders from far and wide, becoming the most important musical center of all times.

Many musicians, mainly violinist, came from Lombardy and the westermost cities of the Venetian Republic. Some of them like Cicilianos, and the Linarollos, were string instrment makers.At the end of the 16 th century. when the lute builders started to make violins,the Italian violin began to acquire its legendary stature. It was above Cremona, a little town in the Po valley, that became renowned with makers such as the Amati family, the Stradivarius family and the Guarneri del Gesu.

Even before the 16th century it was played in churches, often with the organ. From Italy comes the Baroque repertoire of concertos sonatas, which was developed by composers like Corelli and Vivaldi.

Horns and Trumpets: Instruments  for calling and for magic

Blowing into an animal horn, or into a shell belongs to the very earliest of human mystical experiences.The horns and the trumpets are also often made from a slender trunk. From the Bronze age onwards metal was also used to make horns and trumpets.

Horns and trumpets were used as calling instruments.They were a major means of communication by shepherds, particularly in mountainous regions. The spectacular  is the most well-known example, but it s by no means the only one. Horns and trumpets had a similar function in the Carpathian mountains-the Romanian tribita and bucium are good examples too.

Their raucous , strident sounds were intended both to galvanize the soldiers into action and to scare off the enemy. In addition they were supposed to chase away evil spirits. Blowing  horns and trumpets was also a way of breathing new life into nature. The midwinterhoorn, which can still be heard at advent in Twente in the Netherlands, undoubtedly has a similar magical origin. The Shofar is a horn, traditionally that of a ram and since  biblical times, the Shofar-blowing is incorporated in synagogue services of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur worldwide.

The Bagpipe: Instrument of shepherds and dancers

Beginning of the 13 century, written sources such as Cleomades, of Adenet le roi spoke of the bagpipe in the Southern Low Countries. We see it first in pastoral scenes,but in the 15 century onwards it was shown being used in secular festivities such as wedding celebrations. One of the most intriguing instruments of history,  it is made of the following parts: goatskin bag, or made of an animal’s bladder, renewed, blowpipe, chanter,two drones and three stocks connected to the reservoir.

The pipes are turned from different kinds of wood, the horn is reinforced by a ring of animal horn and brass. They can be found in Germany, British Isles and Spain. I had fun taking pictures of the two most original ones..have a look above!

Different types of drums and tambours

There are four principal types of European drum, categorized by their different forms: Goblet-shaped, or built on a frame. The most common type is cylindrical, as in the side drum. the snare drum or the bass drum. Goblet-shaped drums are usually made in pottery.

These are bowl shaped kettle drums are mainly used in the Caucasus, in Turkey and i the Balkan regions. But frame drums are found throughout Europe, and are possibly of prehistorical origins. Thy are usually round and are often fitted with jingles or small bells. The tambourine is the most common example.

Instruments form Outside Europe: Stringed Instruments in the Indian Sub-Continent

The rich history of this ancient part of the world can be seen reflected in the incredible variety of stringed instruments still in use there.

Both in the music of the people and in the highly sophisticate music of the upper classes. For a Westener, the most striking phenomenon is that many instruments have sympathetic strings. These vibrate freely, in resonance with the strings which are plucked or bowed by the player.

In India there is a clear distinction between Hindustani music in the North and Carnatic music in the South.

The Hindustani tradition comes principally from the Muslim culture. brought by successive invaders from the West. The sitar and the tabla are the principal instruments of the North. The sitar is probably the invention of the 17th century Amir Khusrau of Delhi,  but confusion with the name of a famous poet led players to claim that the instrument had its origin in the 12th century.

The sitar is usually played with the tabla and a drone instrument, the tambura; they are also used to accompany dances. The surbahar is a larger sitar, sounding at a lower pitch. In North Ind, instruments had an important part to play in the classical vocal tradition.

The khyal is one of the vocal styles, performed in princely courts since the 19 century.The singer is accompanied by two sarangi a tabla, and one tambura.

The most widespread instrument on the sub-continent is the ektara. It is a single-stringed spike lute with a gourd resonator and is used above all wandering mendicant monks.

Ritual music in Tibetan monasteries

There is something fascinating in the music of Tibetan monks. This may be because of the geographical situation of Tibet and its political isolation.

The roof of the world is about 4,000 meters above sea level. Since 1957 the spiritual head of the country, the Dalai Lama, has lived in exile in India.The Tibetan monks use the dung chen ( long trumpets) only for open-air ceremonies,where they dialogue with the rgya gling ( oboe).

The dung chen essentially come in two sizes 170 to 180cm or 310 cm. A few examples are even longer than four meters. The monks play long sounds linked by a sort of glissando.

The oboe players also use as is frequently the case in Eastern countries, circular breathing. Other instruments, such as the gandi ( woodblock), the’ kharrnga and the dung dkar ( conches) are used to summon the members of religious communities.

To mark the time in a piece of music, the monks use a rnga ( frame drum) and three sorts of cymbal: sbub-chal, sil nyan and ting shang. Many drums are often used to meet with thirty or forty at the same time.Their role is giving musical pulsation 9 metronome0 is usually given to young monks.

Finally there is a whole series of purely ritual objecs like the dril bu and the gsang ( hand bells), the damaru ( drum in the form of hourgalss) and the rkang gling ( short trumpet made of human bone or metal).

They are often represented as attribute of spiritual masters, divinities or even certain Buddhas.

Ritual music in Chinese Temples

The groups of stone sticks ( lithophones) and bronze bells are part of a long tradition. Qing ( separate resonant stones)and zhong ( bronze bells ) already existed under the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C).

The examples found in the museums date from the end of the 19th century.

The biangzhong has sixteen bells and it is placed on the east side of every Confucian temple. The bianquing is placed on the west side so that the two instruments can dialogue.

The ritual temple music also calls for several types of flutes.

Serpent Chandelier

This exquisite and peculiar chandelier is made of serpent and it comes from the brass band of the belgian town of Puurs, where it was indeed used as a chandelier before the MIM purchased it.

The serpents date from the end of the 18th century and the beginning og the 19th century. Before their new life as a chandelier, they were used as a bass instrument in bands or to accompany church music. The sun and the crescent formed part of the Turkish crescent around which the chandelier is made.( Photo below close to harps)

Lyre Piano

The lyre piano derives its name from its case in the form of a giant lyre. It is in fact, a grand piano placed vertically on a stand. This quite peculiar model of vertical piano, which seems specific to Berlin,

was apparently invented by a builder named Syling, active in Berlin during the first years of the 19th century, it was built on a limited number rivalling other instruments like the giraffe and the pyramid piano

Strings and Keyboards :Harps

In Western Europe the harp developed from the small instrument of the troubadours to become the large orchestral instrument,while keeping its role as an accompanying instrument.

In the 16th century the musical potential of the portable instrument, on which each string could only produce a single note, began to seem insufficient in the light of the increasing importance of instrumental music.

The delicate tuning necessary on certain strings to enable the instrument to play in a variety of keys was made easier by the addition of hooks on the neck. The harp enjoyed a huge success in the second half of the 18th century particularly in France where it became the darling of the aristocracy.

Harpsichords

The clavichord appeared in the early 15th century. This small an expressive instrument is usually built in a rectangular shape.The stings are struck by small metal blades called tangents. the action allows the player to give much dynamic expression and also use a sort of vibrato which the German call Bebung.

John Sebastian Bach wrote many pieces for this instrument.  for example wrote 550 sonatas for this instrument. A symbol of aristocracy and rich bourgeoisie, the harpsichord was a luxurious piece of furniture often seen depicted in sumptuous decorations by famous painters or precious ornaments

The harpsichord was one of the favorite instruments in the Renaissance and Baroque period. It was used as a solo instrument, as well as in the orchestra , the opera and in chamber music. it repertoire is very large, from suites to toccatas, sonatas to concertos.

Most composers, including Girolano Frescobaldi, Francois Couperin, Henry Purcell,or  wrote many pieces for this instrument.

The Italian School

The Italian have gracious forms.The lid and exterior of the outer case were painted. Often ivory buttons were placed on the side of the case or on the name board.

The Flemisch School

From he 17 century the role of Antwerp became predominant because of the resown of the prestigious Ruckers dynasty. It can be differentiated from the Italian by its heavier form and more robust construction.

The decorations were also different, the outside case is often painted in imitation marble while the inside surfaces were ornamented with printed paper with patterns taken from  Renaissance books. The interior lid were covered with paper imitating wood, enhanced with Latin sentences, either of a religious nature,or relating to bourgeois morality.The soundboard is painted with flowers, leaves,fruits and birds.

Other European Schools

Although the Flemish school was considerable in Europe, other European schools have their  specific characteristics. For several centuries they kept their simplicity.

Different Types of Piano

From the early 1720s some piano makers began to place the piano action in a rectangular case, similar to that of the clavichord. The manufacture of upright pianos, in the present sense of the word, did not begin until 1810 although the idea of the vertical piano goes back to the beginning of the 18th century

.

Manufacturers came with all sorts of original,  and totally fanciful ideas, which showed real inventiveness- the cabinet pianos, the pyramid piano, the giraffe piano. the lyre piano, the dog Kennel piano ot the console piano.in 1850 onwards the industrialization of certain manufacturers led to an increased standardization of models.

Only the upright piano and the grand piano have surived to our days.

Electronic sound generation

Each new electronic instrument represents a phase in the development of sounds generators towards the mastering of the acustic spectrum.Before the First World War the differential sound between a fixed and moveable frequency was often used. This is the technique used by the Ondes Martenot (e 1928) and by the theremin( 1929) .Electronic studios hardly appeared after Second World War.

The commercially produced synthesizers of the 1960s and 1970s made the techniques of electronic music easily available to a large public.

“The instruments which engineers must bring to perfection in collaboration with musicians will make all sounds available for use…We may say that such a rich diversity of timbers has heretofore been non-existent. The intensities are hardly variable. Thanks to the mechanical system we may indulge in endless dreams of both timbre and intensity..” ( Edgar Varese, 1930)

Joelle’s Tips:

Th Museum : MIM mim / Musical Instruments Museum / Av Montagne de la Cour 2 B-1000 Brussels

Museum opening hours Tuesday – Friday: 9.30 a.m. – 4.45 p.m. / Saturday & Sunday: 10.00 a.m. – 4.45 p.m.

Photos of Old England building credits:  Photoguide Farm Static

Dancers:  Dvorana Travel Swiss horn player : Eye Fetch Man Playing Badgepipe / Man Playing Badgepipe / Shofar : Tam Tam for Peace

Grande Place

In the 10th century, the Duke of Lower Lotharingia constructed a fort on Saint-Géry Island, the point at which the Senne river became navigable.

This was the seed of what would become Brussels. By the end of the 11th century, an open-air marketplace was set up on a dried-out marsh near the fort that was surrounded by sandbanks. The market was called the Nedermerckt, or Lower Market.

The market likely developed around the same time as the commercial development of Brussels. A document from 1174 mentions a lower market (forum inferius) not far from the port on the Senne river. The market was well situated along the Steenweg (Causeway), an important commercial road which connected the prosperous regions of the Rhineland and the County of Flanders.

At the beginning of the 13th century, three indoor markets were built on the northern edge of the Grand Place; a meat market, a bread market and a cloth market. These buildings, which belonged to the Duke of Brabant, allowed the wares to be showcased even in bad weather, but also allowed the Dukes to keep track of the storage and sale of goods, in order to collect taxes. Other buildings, made of wood or stone, enclosed the Grand Place.

Improvements to the Grand Place from the 14th century onwards would mark the rise in importance of local merchants and tradesmen relative to the nobility. Short on money, the Duke transferred control of mills and commerce to the local authorities. The city of Brussels, as with the neighboring cities of Mechelen and Leuven constructed a large indoor cloth market to the south of the square.

At this point, the square was still haphazardly laid out, and the buildings along the edges had a motley tangle of gardens and irregular additions. The city expropriated a and demolished number of buildings that clogged the Grand Place, and formally defined the edges of the square.

The Brussels Town Hall stands 96 metres tall and is capped by a 3 metre statue of Saint Michael slaying a demon. The Brussels City Hall was built on the south side of the square in stages between 1401 and 1455, and made the Grand Place the seat of municipal power.

To counter this symbol of municipal power, from 1504 to 1536 the Duke of Brabant built a large building across from the city hall as symbol of ducal power. It was built on the site of the first cloth and bread markets, which were no longer in use, and it became known as the King’s House , although no king has ever lived there.

It is currently known as the Maison du roi (King’s House) in French, though in Dutch it continues to be called the Broodhuis (Breadhouse), after the market whose place it took. Wealthy merchants and the increasingly powerful guilds of Brussels built houses around the edge of the square.

On August 13, 1695, a 70,000-strong French army under Marshal François de Neufville, Duke of Villeroy began a bombardment of Brussels in an effort to draw the League of Augsburg’s forces away from their siege on French-held Namur in what is now southern Belgium.

The French launched a massive bombardment of the mostly defenseless city center with cannons and mortars, setting it on fire and flattening the majority of the Grand Place and the surrounding city. Only the stone shell of the town hall and a few fragments of other buildings remained standing. That the town hall survived at all is ironic, as it was the principal target of the artillery fire.

The square was rebuilt in the following four years by the city’s guilds. Their efforts were regulated by the city counselors and the Governor of Brussels, who required that their plans be submitted to the authorities for their approval. This helped to deliver a remarkably harmonious layout for the rebuilt Grand Place, despite the ostensibly clashing combination of Gothic, Baroque and Louis XIV styles.

In the late 18th century, revolutionaries sacked the Grand Place, destroying statues of nobility and symbols of Christianity .The guildhalls were seized by the state and sold.

The buildings were neglected and left in poor condition, with their façades painted, stuccoed and damaged by pollution. In the late 19th century, mayor Charles Buls had the Grand Place returned to its former splendor, with buildings being reconstructed or restored.

The Grand Place continued to serve as a market until November 19, 1959, and it is still called the Grote Markt or Great Market in Dutch. Neighboring streets still reflect the area’s origins, named after the sellers of butter, cheese, herring, coal and so on. The Grand Place was named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998. One of the houses was owned by the brewers’ guild, and is now the home of a brewers’ museum.

N. Toebac Real Belgian Lace

Brussels lace has always been a a synonym of quality and exclusivity. Nicole Toebac shop at the Grand Place is  a family business who grew in three generation to the most important distributor of real handmade Belgian lace.

They  are specialized in Renaissance and Princess lace.They proud ourselves for employing the best lace-makers in the country and using the finest materials. Their lace is made in the traditional way as it was one hundred years ago. The shop is a must!

Museum of Costume & Lace

Four opulent-looking houses and an old warehouse built in the late 17th-early 18th century were rehabilitated so that the delicate materials preserved in this museum could be nestled in a delightful setting.

Many fashion accessories, embroideries and original documents, as well as an impressive variety of middle-class outfits designed between the 17th century and today are a major part of the museum’s treasures, and high-quality temporary exhibitions do a brilliant job of highlighting them.

Additionally, the museum also pays tribute to lace, the production of which forms an integral part of Brussels’ heritage. From its development in the 17th century to the late 19th century, this precious fabric experienced a long golden age. The use of lace fell into disfavor during modern times and is now considered a work of art.

Biscuiterie Dandoy

Set in the heart of Brussels just between the Grand Place and the bourse ,the family-owned business has perpetuated a unique craftsmanship in the production of many traditional Belgian and Brussels specialties for almost two centuries.

Based on original recipes Dandoy biscuits are prepared by hand in the firm’s own workshop , with natural ingredients. Dandoy’s most famous specialties include the Pain a la Greque,

the speculaas, the almond bread, and several kinds of Macaroons. Go for it!

La Maison du Cygne restaurant

A true gastronomic and cultural gem, and quoted by Zagat as top Europe Restaurants , this 17th century house offers its guests a unique atmosphere in the very heart of Brussels and one of the most beautiful squares in the world.

In the great French tradition, the Maison du Cygne boasts some of the best cuisine in Brussels, acclaimed by critics and connoisseurs alike.

Under the watchful eye of Michel Verdoodt, Restaurant Manager, and his team, you can enjoy innovative yet authentic cuisine brilliantly masterminded by Donald Loriaux, 4th at the Bocuse d’Or.
To accompany your meal, the Maison du Cygne has an impressive cellar of over 20,000 bottles including some of the finest wines available.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels met here twice a week in 1848, but the clientèle now is mostly expense account, which may or may not support their manifesto.  The main dining room, on the first floor, is paneled in old wood etc.  The tables are well spaced and it is quiet.  The ground floor is a tavern and light lunch place and can be a private salon at night.

Le Roy d’Espagne cafe

Built in 1697, was originally the House of the Baker’s guild. The name is due to the bust of Charles II which decorates the façade on the  second floor.

In 1697 Charles II was the King of Spain and the sovereign of the
Southern Netherlands, which included the present day Belgium. On the ground floor, above the entrance, watches Saint-Aubertus, the Patron Saint of the  bakers.

The house, which suffered much damage during the French Revolution, was renovated to its original state in 1902 under the impulse of the Mayor of Brussels, Charles Buls. After having been a café and a hardware store of which  the first balcony remains, the house regained its vocation as a café in 1952.

Marche des erbes

In 1836, the young architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, born in the Netherlands in 1811, had the idea to construct a covered gallery of more than 200 meters that would directly link the “Marché aux Herbes” (herbs market) to the “Montagne aux Herbes Potagères” (vegetables market), by demolishing a number of sordid alleys in which the bourgeoisie did not dare to come.

It took nine years before the administrative and financial formalities required to proceed with the numerous expropriations were completed. The construction of the building itself lasted one year and a half. These expropriations provoked a lot of complaints and even a few tragedies.

An old lady of rich descent that lived in the “Maison des Orfèvres” (goldsmith house), at the present entrance in the Rue du Marché aux Herbes, died of panic and anger when the bailiff came to announce her that her house was to be demolished shortly.

What remains of this house is the ancient motto : “Omnibus Omnia” (all for all). Mister Paneel, a barber by trade, obstinately refused to leave and preferred cutting his throat with a razor blade rather than watching his houses being destroyed.

When the construction was already in an advanced phase, the first stone was laid with a golden trowel by King Leopold the First, accompanied by his two sons.

At the meeting of the board of the company on the 4th of December 1846, the names of the three parts of the new gallery, to pay homage to the royal family, were agreed upon :

The Galerie du Roi (the King’s gallery) to the east of the Rue des Bouchers, ( Butcher’s street) the Galerie de la Reine (the Queen’s gallery) to the west, and the Galerie du Prince (the prince’s gallery),  a 54 meter long gallery that links the Galerie du Roi to the Rue des Dominicains In October 1965, the building, originally called “Passage Saint-Hubert“, received its present name “Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert”.

The narrow street connecting the two alleys already existed in the 13th century, but it was called “Bogart” or “Bomgaard” (orchard street). The name of Saint-Hubert appears in 1685 , because of a cabaret dedicated to this Saint. The cabaret was very often visited by the “échoppiers” (stall keepers) of the nearby Marché aux Herbes. During the French regime, it was called “Rue du Chasseur” (hunter street).

In the middle of the 19th century, the Saint-Hubert Galleries were the longest, highest (8 meters), best decorated and best lit galleries in the world, thanks to the enormous glass roof which is 200 meters long. From the day of their inauguration, these galleries have been highly successful and entertaining. Later on, the luxurious specialized shops added their part to this success. The “exterior” terraces of the cafés, cake shops and ice cream sellers attracted a smart public that came there to forget the humid Belgian climate for a few hours.

Taverne du Passage

During the years, the Passage Saint-Hubert became a literary centre, where one could meet famous French writers such as Baudelaire, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, Apollinaire or Verlaine in the “Café de la Renaissance” (the present “Taverne du Passage“), which was the meeting place of the Artistic et Literary Circle. Nowadays, the galleries still are an important commercial centre for luxury goods in an old-fashioned environment that was recently restored with a lot of care.

Nehaus

Among the remarkable shops, there is the number 23 of the Galerie de la Reine, where the Swiss Jean Neuhaus installed a confectioner’s shop in 1857. Neuhaus was specialized in making cough bonbons, marshmallows and liquorice for stomach pain.

His son Frédéric made delicacies such as chocolates filled with vanilla. In 1912, Jean Neuhaus introduced a number of novelties, such as chocolates filled with fruits, crushed nuts paste, various sorts of creams and even liquors.

He called them “pralines“, because their form looked like the grilled nuts covered with sugar of the Marquis of Praslin. One fine day, his wife came up with the idea of putting the pralines carefully in a little cardboard box, because she was tired of serving them in a paper wrapper. They called this cardboard box a “ballotin“.

Theatre of Saint-Hubert

Cultural life was present in the galleries as well. In the Galerie du Roi number 32, one can still find the Theatre of Saint-Hubert Galleries, that was conceived by Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer himself and inaugurated on the 7th of June 1847. Originally it was used for comedy, drama and vaudeville. In fact, the City Council of Brussels had forbidden singing or music, in order to prevent it from competing with the “Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie“.The Vaudeville was recently restored and is now used again as theater and reception room.

Delvaux

Since the beginning of the previous century, number 31 has housed the renowned Belgian leather shop Delvaux,

creator and manufacturer of the most refined traveling-bags, trunks, handkerchiefs, purses, and various leather objects.

Petite Rue des Bouchers

Already in 1366, this street was mentioned as “Cleyn Vleeshouversstraete“. However, in the 17th century, it was named “Crantje Straetje” (tap street). In the 17th century it was sometimes called “Rue du Cornet” as well.

At the beginning of the 19th century, a lot of tripe butchers came to this street, after a prefecture’s order of the year X (revolutionary calendar) had expelled them out of the “Marché aux Tripes” (the tripe market, which became an extension of the herbs market).

The street still has today about twelve houses dating from the 17th and 18th century. During the “Belle Époque” (Edwardian era), the street sheltered more small music-halls than restaurants. On the first floor of number 30, there was the jazz-club “La Rose Noire”, where Jacques Brel, the famous Belgian singer, had his first successes in 1953. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, this successful cabaret had to close its doors in 1961. The building was bought by the restaurant “Les Armes de Bruxelles” in 1963 and was used as the restaurant’s kitchen the next year.

Les Armes de Bruxelles Restaurant

A Brussels institution since it opened in 1921, this family-owned establishment offers gracious, rather formal service, combined with a casual, relaxed ambience.

It’s an excellent place for your introduction to Belgian cooking, since it combines traditional cuisine with great quality, and offers just about every regional specialty you can think of (including mussels in every conceivable style). You can sample anything from an excellent beef stewed in beer to a delicious waterzooï to a steak with pepper-and-cream sauce, all at reasonable prices

Scheltema Restaurant ( my favorite!)

Located in the historic centre of Brussels just a few steps away from the Grand Place, the Scheltema has been an institution in the Ilot Sacré area since 1972.

The establishment is known for its seafood specialties and its turn of the century pub ambiance, which combine to make the Scheltema one of the most prestigious restaurants in Brussels. Et Voila Creme Brule!

Joelle’s Tips:

The restaurants :

La Maison du Cygne Rue Charles Buls 2Brussels, Belgium 1000 / Phone: +322-511-8244
Fax: +32 2 514-3148

Aux Armes de Bruxelles: Traditional Belgian  Rue des Bouchers 13 Bruxelles / +322 511-55-98

Scheltema : Sea food Specialties  Rue des Dominicains 7 1000 Brussel / Phone : +32 2 512.20.84

Chez Leon : Belgian Cuisine  Rue des Bouchers 18 /Bruxelles 1000 /+32 2 511.14.15

The Cafes: 

Le Roy d’Espagne Grand’Place 1 B-1000 Brussels / Phone : +32 2 513 08 07 fax : +32 2 513 11 27  info@roydespagne.be

La Taverne du Passage : Cuisine Belgian  Galerie de la Reine 30  100 Bruxelles / Phone + 32 2 512-37-32

The Shops:

N. Toebac: Belgian Lace 10, Rue Charles Buls  1000 Bruxelles / Phone : + 3202 5120941 Fax : +32 2 5020481  E-mail : info@nicoletoebac

Delicacies:

Biscuiterie Dandoy : Rue au Beurre 31 1000 Bruxelles

Neuhaus: Galerie de la Reine 25  1000 Bruxelles

Delvaux: Galerie de la Reine 31 Phone +32 02512-71-98

The Museum:

Musee du costume et de la Dentelle Rue de la Violette 6 Phone +32 2  213 44 50

The source: Commune libre de l’Ilot Sacre / Fodors Guide of Brussels

Photo credits: Courtesy of Charles le Brusseler / Renato Serra for Commune libre de l’Ilot Sacre /

Used with the permission of www.hotels-belgium , www.trabel.com & www.arakea.com’. Alle rights reserved

Judaism is not just a set of beliefs about G-d, man and the universe.

Judaism is a comprehensive way of life, filled with rules and practices that affect every aspect of life: What you do when you wake up in the morning, what you can and cannot eat, what you can and cannot wear, how to groom yourself, how to conduct business,

who you can marry, how to observe the holidays and Shabbat, and perhaps most important, how to treat G-d, other people, and animals.

This set of rules and practices is known as Halakhah.

The word “Halakhah” is usually translated as “Jewish Law,” although a more literal (and more appropriate) translation might be “the path that one walks.” The word is derived from the Hebrew root Hei-Lamed-Kaf, meaning to go, to walk or to travel.

Halakhah comes from three sources: from the Torah, from laws instituted by the rabbis and from long-standing customs.

Halakhah from any of these sources can be referred to as a Mitzvah (commandment; plural: Mitzvot). The word “Mitzvah” is also commonly used in a casual way to refer to any good deed.

Because of this imprecise usage, sophisticated Halakhic discussions are careful to identify Mitzvot as being Mitzvot d’Oraita (an Aramaic word meaning “from the Torah“) or Mitzvot d’Rabbanan (Aramaic for “from the rabbis”).

A Mitzvah that arises from custom is referred to as a Minhag. Mitzvot from all three of these sources are binding, though there are differences in the way they are applied. The term Mitzvah has also come to express an act of human kindness and Tzedaka. (Charity)

According to the teachings of Judaism, all moral laws are, or are derived from, divine commandments. The opinions of the Talmudic rabbis are divided between those who seek the purpose of the Mitzvot and those who do not question them.

The latter argue that if the reason for each Mitzvah could be determined, people might try to achieve what they see as the purpose of the Mitzvah, without actually performing the Mitzvah itself.

The Rabbis came to assume that the Law comprised 618 commandments. According to Rabbi Simlai, as quoted in the Talmud, this enumeration of 618 commandments was representative of the following.

“  365 negative commandments like the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive commandments corresponding to a person’s limbs”

Inspired by the the Rabbinical Mitzvots,  Moshe Mizrahi and Eitan Nissanian of MDM Judaica created exclusive one of a kind art pieces allowing every Jew in the world to remember and practice freely in their own homes the rituals present in the Talmudic teachings.

Among the 630 Mitzvots, I have chosen to enumerate a few basic ones to give you a good idea of what it takes today, to understand the basic principles of Jewish Faith the how the inherited knowledge from past generations is manifested through simple and sometimes more complex rituals.

And the greatest privilege for me is to illustrate in this case, the needed basic tools through beautiful uniquely precious works of art described below each Miztvah each one of a kind and all created with love and devoted care. And the Mitzvoths are:

And the  Mitvots are: Put a Mezuzah at the door frame of your home,

Below a collector’s case in Silver and wood inlay  a small key for Parnassa is hidden inside

To recite a blessing for each enjoyment ,

This hand painted illustration on parchment is from the beautiful Book of Perek Shira ( The song of creation) by Rabbi Eliezer.

To ritually wash the hands before eating ,

I am holding a gorgeous embossed and engraved silver Mayyim Acharonim in my hand.

Very good to put in my suitcase on my travels throughout the world.

To prepare lights in advance of Shabbat

A portable gold prayer book, scribed with Kosher Ink and hand sown with 24 k gold thread

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7tLqMOXSPm8/Rf_wuENDL4I/AAAAAAAAAYo/6iTDDR1gFxA/s400/dubrov.jpeg

To recite the Hallel psalms on holy days,

To light the Hanukkah lights,

I have displayed on a table in front of an 18th century Venetian mirror in my bedroom two beautiful examples of Menoras.

The first is a collectible,  25 years old in pure Silver.

It carries a small doors with a silver tray for an incorporated driedel game, a small drawer for the extra candles , and containers for the oil.

The second is a replica of an old Moroccan tradition of inlay .

To read the Scroll of Esther on Purim

This 9 meters (27′ length and 2′ wide) Kosher Meguilhat Esther is entirely hand painted and scribed by expert artisans in Israel. It took more than three years to be crafted. At the left hand-side a scroll of Esther case in silver inlay and the shape of a Castle.  The silver inlay representation of the brave chevalier Mordechai  riding a horse lays on the left at the bottom of the castle’s door.

Observe Jewish Holidays: Rosh Hashana

A very rare serving plate made in silver and gold with  hand painted in porcelain plates  for the Simanim (symbolic foods) .

Blessings are engraved all around the pedestal

and two drawers on the side contain the instruments to work on the dishes

Keep  Shabbat ( Kiddush)

Sheva Brachot/ Brit/ Bar-Mitzva /  7 Blessing Cup. First of it’s kind. It is all engraved by hand with a magnifying glass.

Pure Silver inlay with 24 karat Gold. Includes the engraving of all Seven blessings.

A flower ruby encrusted in gold wine leaves on a Spice container for Havdalah. Another silver Spice Box. Wood inlay. Both Collector’s items

Keep Shabbat ( Havdalah)

One of the richest works of MDM. a pyramid Havdalah set. Made of white and red Afghan onyx and or-moulu silver and enamel

A kiddush cup and a spice box are part of this magnificent set

Another spectacular, Havdalah Set.  It is completely hand made.

3-D engraving in silver gold plate. Unique enamel color. All stones are pure-quality rubies.

The or-moulu tray has  a beautiful representation of the Shabbat ceremony in a Jewish household, blessings engraved on the borders.

These seven rabbinical commandments are treated like Biblical commandments insofar as, prior to the performance of each, a benediction is recited.

“Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, Who has commanded us …”

Joelle’s Tips:

Several pieces like the ” Flower of Mitzvots ” and the Piano of Mitzvots” have  all year round  Mitzvots incorporated. Some are pieces like  inspired in the Spanish Marranos where they are hidden like the telephone Havdallah set

All hand painted illustrations as well as the Judaica works of art are from the Jerusalem private collection of MDM.

They can be made to order if not available in stock, price is on demand and can be delivered personally to your home.

MDM : Original Judaica on Parchment and Silver

Contact Info in the US :  Eitan Nissanian eitan126@yahoo.com  / Tel +1( 718) 544-0180 / cell +1 ( 917) 582 57 51 /(646) 270-0680

Rabbis photo Copyrights : common  writes / Wikipedia

Photo wedding copyrights :

In 15 days is the Jewish holiday of Passover. ( Hebrew: Pessah)

The miracle of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt is perpetuated in Jewish tradition of the holiday of Pessah.

The holiday symbolizes the release from slavery and the gift of freedom, the journey from Egypt to the land of Israel.

The core of the holiday is the “Seder night”, during which the story of the Exodus is told as it was written in the “Pessah Haggadah”.

During the eight days of the holiday, it is forbidden to eat leavened bread and most baked goods, for the Torah commanded Jews to eat only Matza, which is unleavened bread, during Pessah.

In Jewish communities the holiday was celebrated according to all the laws and several important folklore symbols were added to it, which made the holiday very special.

On my trip to Europe, a gentleman called Eitan with a strong Israeli accent calls me on the phone.  ” Miss Joelle? My name is Eitan and I would like to introduce you to MDM, we have one of a kind line of Judaica from Israel, the- kind of- things- I- assure -you will like.

” Busy with the Brussels edition at that time , my answer was ” And Mr Eitan, how exactly would you know about  the kind of ‘ stuff’ I’d like?”

Eitan who I was referred to by an  Israeli architect living in New York who happens to know me well and  my taste for luxury and impeccable craftsmanship,  promised to say no more words until I saw some pictures of the pieces and met personally his associate Moshe Mizrahi who lived in Jerusalem.

They would both come to New York before Pessah and I will be presented ” G-D willing to some pieces of the  valuable collection, mostly in 22k in silver, 24k gold and  semi precious stones ” Wow!

In the meantime, on my arrival to New York, the countdown is approaching and as the Jewish world bravely confronts the great holiday of Pessah myriad preparatory requirements. Among them is the pre-Pessah  ritual in Jewish households of house-cleaning frenzy overwhelming  families.

I too do my part, carefully cleaning and dusting inside out closets, kitchen shelves, cupboards,  fridge and freezer for the legendary eradication of the so called Chamez. This specific  eradication  (“leavening”) refers either to a grain product that is already fermented ( yeast breads, certain types of cake, and most alcoholic beverages), or to a substance that can cause fermentation (yeast, sourdough or high fructose corn syrup -

Believe it or not, no matter how many year have passed every Jew has never total certainty about what he should keep and what he should put away during this frenetic cleaning.

The consumption of Chametz is forbidden during Passover in most Jewish traditions. According to Halakha, the ownership of Chametz is also proscribed from the house. It is the symbolic drive to put everything in the house in its proper place, shiny, spotless and dusted. Mine is ready. I can now receive the  ” Jerusalem boys” .

Eitan, announces his arrival in the city on an e-mail.  Before we talk further I ask if he and his partner can bring along  some of the impressive Seder Plates I saw in the pictures as well a selection of their valuable hand written , and marvelously  hand-painted painted  leather Haggadots .

Since the holiday is approaching the traditional table full of symbols has to be set in place ; nothing better than  finding some inspiration from Jerusalem experts coming to the Big Apple just to be at my total service in my own house!

The two men dressed in dark, are at my do0rway with a bunch of dark suitcases, one of them is wearing a formal hat that goes perfectly well with his dark beard.

” Joel? This is a name of a man! ” – he says- Your name in Israel is Yael!  Shalom Miss Yael, my name is Moshe Mizrahi, nice to meet you I am Argentinian of origin, could you please tell me where my assistant Eitan can leave the content of these suitcases, as you see the Seder Plate I have brought for you to see weights 20 kilos.

The beautiful pieces come out from the suitcases  one after the other in a Houdini manner and then carefully mounted over a wooden table in my living room facing Central Park.

Six ormolu silver cups are placed on top of a tray placed over a box with  six small silver inlaid gate doors . Behind beautiful hand painted scenes of the Seder ritual and a three shelves container for the three Matzot kept for later blessings.

Semi precious stones and Hebrew letters engravings embellish the composition of the piece. A  majestic Kiddush silver and  24 k gold goblet, is reserved for  the prophet Eliahu Hannabi possible appearance at the family dinner .

You see Miss Yael, a Seder table must look precious..it is traditional of Jewish families to gather on the first night of Pessah (first two nights in communities outside the land of Israel) for the special dinner, called a Seder (derived from the Hebrew word for “order”, referring to the very specific order of the ritual).

The table must be set with the finest china and silverware to reflect the importance of the meal.

During this meal, the story of the Exodus from Egypt is retold using a special text called the Haggadah. Four cups of wine are consumed at various stages in the narrative.

The Haggadah divides the night’s procedure into 15 parts: Kadeish – recital of Kiddush blessing and drinking of the first cup of wine , Urchatz - the washing of the hands – without blessing, Karpas - dipping of the karpas in salt water, Yachatz - breaking the middle Matzo; the larger piece becomes the Afikoman which is eaten later during the ritual of Tzafun, Maggid - retelling the Passover story, including the recital of  “the four questions” and drinking of the second cup of wine,

Rachtzah - second washing of the hands – with blessing , Motzi - traditional blessing before eating bread products, Matzo – blessing before eating Matzo. Maror - eating of the maror, Koreich – eating of a sandwich made of matzo and maror,  Shulchan oreich – lit. “set table”—the serving of the holiday meal, Tzafun - eating of the afikoman, Bareich – blessing after the meal and drinking of the third cup of wine, Hallel - recital of the Hallel, traditionally recited on festivals; drinking of the fourth cup of wine, Nirtzah – conclusion

Passover begins on the 15th day of the month of Nissan (equivalent to March and April in Gregorian calendar), the first month of the Hebrew calendar’s festival year according to the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative of the Exodus, the Bible tells that YHWH inflicted ten plagues upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release his Hebrew slaves, with the tenth plague being the killing of all of the firstborn, from the Pharaoh’s son to the firstborn of the dungeon captive, to the firstborn of cattle.

The Hebrews were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term “passover”. When Pharaoh freed the Hebrews, it is said that they left in such a hurry that they could not wait for bread to rise.

In commemoration, for the duration of Passover, no leavened bread is eaten, for which reason it is called “The Festival of the Unleavened Bread”. Matza (unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday. This bread that is flat and un-risen is called Matzo.

The Seder is replete with questions, answers, and unusual practices (the recital of Kiddush which is not immediately followed by the blessing over bread, which is the traditional procedure for all other holiday meals) to arouse the interest and curiosity of the children at the table.

The children are also rewarded with nuts and candies when they ask questions and participate in the discussion of the Exodus and its aftermath. Likewise, they are encouraged to search for the afikoman, the piece of matzo which is the last thing eaten at the Seder. Audience participation and interaction is the rule, and many families’ Seders last long into the night with animated discussions and much singing.

The Seder concludes with additional songs of praise and faith printed in the Haggadah, including Chad Gadya (“One Kid Goat”).

The Haggadah ( “telling”) is a Jewish religious text that sets out the order of the Passover Seder.  As Moshe explains the different stories I contemplate speechless the MDM Haggadots . Fully hand-painted, scribed with Kosher ink on carefully selected parchment  they are sown by pairs to another with blue silk thread and gold. Mostly, Eitan tells me, take up to 4 years to be completed.

Reading the Haggadah is a fulfillment of the scriptural commandment to each Jew to “tell your son” about the Jewish liberation from slavery in Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus in the Torah.

Beginning on the second night of Passover, the 16th day of Nissan Jews begin the practice of the Counting of the Omer, a nightly reminder of the approach of the holiday of Shavuot 50 days hence.

Each night after the evening prayer service, men and women recite a special blessing and then enumerate the day of the Omer. Moshe and Eitan very proudly showcase a spectacular piece in massive silver with a beautiful enamel clock and suggestive prayers describing the different stories related to the 49 days of the Omer counting.

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, a sheaf of new-cut barley was presented before the altar on the second day of Unleavened Bread. Since the destruction of the Temple, this offering is brought in word rather than deed. One explanation for the Counting of the Omer is that it shows the connection between Passover and Shavuot.

The physical freedom that the Hebrews achieved at the Exodus from Egypt was only the beginning of a process that climaxed with the spiritual freedom they gained at the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

Another explanation is that the newborn nation which emerged after the Exodus needed time to learn their new responsibilities vis-a-vis Torah and mitzvot before accepting God’s law. The distinction between the Omer offering—a measure of barley, typically animal fodder—and the Shavuot offering—two loaves of wheat bread, human food—symbolizes the transition process.

Joelle’s Tips:

All hand painted illustrations as well as the Judaica object d’ art are from the Jeruslame private collection of MDM.

They can be made to order if not available in stock, price is on demand and can be delivered personally to your home.

MDM : Original Judaica on Parchment and Silver

Contact Info in the US :  Eitan Nissanian eitan126@yahoo.com  / Tel +1( 718) 544-0180 / cell +1 ( 917) 582 57 51 / (646) 270-0680

Desert photo Copyrights : common  writes / Wikipedia

Rio de Janeiro’s 2010 Carnaval celebration was in full swing amidst soaring temperatures and a wave of optimism as Brazil’s economy thrives, its president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva enjoys remarkable popularity, and the city enjoys its status as the site of the 2016 Olympics.

There has been a controversy over a seven-year-old girl performing as the rainha da bateria (“queen of the drum section”) of a major escola de samba and mayor Eduardo Paes’ attempts to bring increased safety and cleanliness to a chaotic event.

The usual flock of celebrity visitors were in town (Beyonce, Madonna, Hugh Jackman, Paris Hilton, and Alicia Keys this year);

they typically come to watch the samba-school parades, attend private parties, and promote themselves.

Meanwhile, record-breaking crowds have partied outdoors on the avenues with the blocos (Carnaval street groups consisting of musicians and/or sound trucks with crowds trailing behind).

Rio has been suffering from an unprecedented heat wave for much of the Southern Hemisphere summer,

and temperatures reached 40 degrees Centigrade in some neighborhoods as an estimated 700,000 visitors poured into the “Marvelous City” for Carnaval (“Carnival” in English).

The festivities ran officially from Feb. 13-16, although the partying started earlier and ended later.

The city claimed that 2.5 million people were celebrating in the streets this year, topping an estimated two million merrymakers enjoying the long-established street Carnaval up north in Salvador, Bahia.

An astonishing 1.5 million people followed the bloco Cordão da Bola Preta through downtown Rio, according to O Globo newspaper.

Rio’s street Carnaval, once a distant third in the local hierarchy to all-night balls and the escola de samba parades, made a dramatic comeback over the last ten years and is now a major tourist attraction.

Along with Cordão da Bola Preta, other blocos attracting mass number of revelers include Monobloco, Banda de Ipanema, Carmelitas, Suvaco do Cristo (Christ’s Armpit, which gathers below the statue of Christ on Corcovado), and Simpatia é Quase Amor (Sympathy Is Almost Love).

The festivities begin at designated time and place where members meet up (the concentração), wearing the bloco’s T-shirt and fortifying themselves with beers and caipirinhas.

The bloco winds its way slowly down the streets of a particular neighborhood, with crowds trailing behind or lining the parade route.

Most blocos play samba and marchas, while some add funk carioca, samba-reggae and maracatu to the mix

There are now some five hundred blocos in Rio, with two hundred just in the Zona Sul (the part of the city in which Ipanema, Leblon and Copacabana are located). At this year’s Carnaval, the mayor’s efforts to reduce disorder and unhealthy practices has generated controversy.

On the hygiene front, the city is attempting to stem the yellow tide of public urination; hundreds of thousands of beer drinkers who party with the blocos in the streets had been accustomed in the past to decorating the walls, gutters, trees and beaches of Rio with their outpourings.

The city has quadrupled the number of public chemical toilets and threatened those who relieve themselves in public with arrest.

In addition, Rio is trying to clean up the food waste on its beaches by preventing roving vendors from selling snacks on the sand, a popular tradition with cariocas (Rio natives).

Not only that, soccer next to the water is outlawed until after 5pm in the afternoon, to help keep order on the crowded shores of Ipanema and Copacabana. Many Brazilians are outraged. Paes is no doubt trying to prepare Rio for the Olympics, when all eyes will be on the city.

It all seems a little surreal: Brazil, especially Rio, has always been an absurdly tolerant and neglectful place, with lax enforcement of its laws. Another controversy, more international than Brazilian, is swirling around the Viradouro escola de samba (samba school)’s naming of seven-year-old Julia Lira to be its drum queen.

Brazil has long had Carnaval balls for children, there is a children samba parade at the Sambódromo, and kids sometimes parade in costume with the alas (theme sections) of the escola.

But it is unprecedented to have a child perform as an escola’s drum queen, a role normally filled by scantily clad models and actresses who dress like sexy showgirls and samba sensually to the music.

Another concern is the physical effort required of a child dancing for eighty minutes in Rio’s wilting heat.

Children groups like the state’s Council for the Defense of Children and Adolescents complained bitterly and sought to legally block Julia’s appearance with Viradouro, but a judge ruled that she could perform with the escola.

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Although the dispute made world headlines, most of Brazil has paid little notice.

Of course, Carnaval is partly about provocation, taboo breaking, and mocking the established order.

It is a pre-Lent celebration (like Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in many Spanish-speaking countries) that takes place seven weeks before Easter and has its roots in pre-Christian festivities held by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and others.

For four days, from Saturday through Tuesday, the country sings and dances in dance halls and clubs,

on the streets and beaches, or wherever there are people and music. Carnaval is celebrated all over Brazil, with different cities favoring different traditions and musical styles.

Rio is most famous for its samba schools, a tradition that began in 1928 when Deixa Falar took to the streets.

The big samba schools like Mangueira, Portela, Salgueiro, Viradouro, Mocidade Independente, and Beija-Flor parade with around three hundred drummers and percussionists and more than four thousand costumed dancers and participants at Rio’s Sambódromo (“Sambadrome”).

Designed by the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer, it is a seven-hundred-meter-long pathway flanked by concrete stands that seat ninety thousand people.

Each escola performs its own samba-enredo (“theme samba”) chosen for the year, a song that may have a political or historical theme, or be a tribute to a particular person or place.The parade encompasses dazzling floats, outlandish costumes, and veritable symphony orchestras of rhythm.

It is like a giant popular opera, with so much happening, musically and visually, that you can’t possibly take it all in at once. Salvador, Bahia is home to Brazil’s most famous street Carnaval.

Musicians atop sound trucks perform axé music; blocos afro like Olodum and Ilê Aiyê pound out samba-reggae and

Afro-Brazilian rhythms; and groups like the Filhos de Gandhi offer rhythmically rich afoxés.

In Olinda and Recife, one hears driving, hypnotic maracatu and raucous, hyperkinetic frevo.

Many cities have informal blocos who perform in the streets, as well as spontaneous groups of people singing and beating cans and bottles. Some celebrants wear special outfits for the occasion, some don’t.

People wear the T-shirt of their favorite bloco or dress as clowns, pirates, sheiks, Indians, aliens, celebrities, what have you.

Lots of men dress up as women. Lots of men and women wear very little at all. This year, of course, revelers painted blue like Avatar characters are also on the prowl.

Not every city in Brazil has an intense Carnaval. Some only host relatively tame indoor balls. And people with less carnavalesco souls use the holidays to travel to places where they can relax far from the drums during the day and, if they feel like it, go dancing at night.

But between New Year’s Eve and Carnaval nothing really important is decided in Brazil. Quoting a popular Chico Buarque song, most people will say, “I’m saving myself for when Carnaval comes.”During that time, the weather is hot, people become more outgoing, and sensuality is in the air.

But amidst all the craziness and frivolity, Carnaval serves the important purpose for Brazilians of maintaining cultural traditions–encoded in the music, dance, and costumes of the celebrations across the country.

Carnaval is a canvas across which the country’s values and issues are displayed, as evidenced by the themes chosen by the escolas,

the presence of a seven-year-old girl dancing before Viradouro’s drum section in 2010, and the reactions to the mayor’s attempts to change some long-standing customs and bring order as Brazil seems on the verge of achieving its great potential.

The Unidos da Tijuca samba group won the battle for Rio bragging rights for the first time in 74 years for their parade entitled “It’s a Secret!” that also featured rapid-fire costume changes and a dancing impersonator of the late pop singer Michael Jackson.

Joelle’s Tips

Source and Credits:

Photos: AP Reuters / Brisbaine times /AP Photo/Ricardo Moraes /MAURICIO LIMA/AFP/Getty Images ‘/AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko /REUTERS/Sergio Moraes /REUTERS/Borja Suarez /VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images) Ricardo Moraes / Valrei de Almeida / Ricardo Belle for Brasil Photos / Ana Maria Santeiro / Giofill

Via The Hunffington Post

There are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine’s Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it “From Your Valentine“.

Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine. Gradually, February 14 became the date for exchanging love messages and St. Valentine became the patron saint of lovers.

The date was marked by sending poems and simple gifts such as flowers. There was often a social gathering or a ball.

In the United States, Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800’s and now the date is very commercialized. The town of Loveland, Colorado, does a large post office business around February 14. The spirit of good continues as valentines are sent out with sentimental verses and children exchange valentine cards at school.

Valentine’s Day started in the time of the Roman Empire. In ancient Rome, February 14th was a holiday to honor Juno. Juno was the Queen of the Roman Gods and Goddesses. The Romans also knew her as the Goddess of women and marriage. The following day, February 15th, began the Feast of Lupercalia.

The lives of young boys and girls were strictly separate. However, one of the customs of the young people was name drawing. On the eve of the festival of Lupercalia the names of Roman girls were written on slips of paper and placed into jars.

Each young man would draw a girl’s name from the jar and would then be partners for the duration of the festival with the girl whom he chose. Sometimes the pairing of the children lasted an entire year, and often, they would fall in love and would later marry.

Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius the Cruel was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. He believed that the reason was that roman men did not want to leave their loves or families. As a result, Claudius canceled all marriages and engagements in Rome.

The good Saint Valentine was a priest at Rome in the days of Claudius II. He and Saint Marius aided the Christian martyrs and secretly married couples, and for this kind deed Saint Valentine was apprehended and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off.

He suffered martyrdom on the 14th day of February, about the year 270. At that time it was the custom in Rome, a very ancient custom, indeed, to celebrate in the month of February the Lupercalia, feasts in honor of a heathen god. On these occasions, amidst a variety of pagan ceremonies, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed.

The pastors of the early Christian Church in Rome endeavored to do away with the pagan element in these feasts by substituting the names of saints for those of maidens. And as the Lupercalia began about the middle of February, the pastors appear to have chosen Saint Valentine’s Day for the celebration of this new feast.

So it seems that the custom of young men choosing maidens for valentines, or saints as patrons for the coming year, arose in this way.

Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine’s Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was:

Good morning to you, valentine;
Curl your locks as I do mine —
Two before and three behind.
Good morning to you, valentine.

And to mention a few traditions…In Wales wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, “You unlock my heart!”  In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it means she will marry him. Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire.

A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together — but not too closely!Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off. Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.

f you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.

Joelle’s Tips

Valentine Cards Courtesy of:

Victorian Valentine Cards

Victorian Valentine Cards

“We have tried to design a transparent building in the sense that we are not hiding what is happening behind the surface of the structure.”

Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa

The New Museum, the first major art museum to be constructed in downtown Manhattan in the city’s modern history.It is located on the Bowery on what was an 8,000 square foot parking lot and is New York’s only museum devoted exclusively to contemporary art.

Unlike MoMA or the Whitney, the New Museum is truly contemporary and is not suffering from an identity crisis. Designed by cutting-edge, Tokyo-based architects Sejima + Nishizawa/SANAA it opened on December 2007.

The seven-story composition – a stack of rectangular boxes shifted off axis in different directions, clad in silvery galvanized, zinc-plated steel, and punctuated by skylights and windows offering vistas and vignettes of the city -

They have designed a breathtaking facility that feature beautifully proportioned galleries, a theater, an education floor, a New Museum Store, a café, a top floor event space with roof terraces, and more.

The New Museum of Contemporary Art occupy its own freestanding, dedicated building for the first time in the institution’s history and will be the first art museum ever built from the ground up in downtown Manhattan.

The building’s form was conceived to express the ever-changing dynamic of the art and ideas to be presented within. Dramatic full floor, column-free exhibition spaces  occupy three main gallery levels.

The broad, light-washed ground floor space — named the Marcia Tucker Hall in honor of the New Museum’s late founder — is an animated public space where visitors will find the Museum’s acclaimed store

These features and spaces will provide a platform for the Museum’s far-reaching international programs, including exhibitions, installations, live presentations and performances, public education programs, and a highly original new global institutional partnership initiative, Museum as Hub.

At night, the building’s metallic exterior will be washed with artificial lighting from within.
Summarizing their approach to the design for the New Museum of Contemporary Art, SANAA has said:

“The solution emerged through an extensive period of trial and error. We made numerous study models based upon the New Museum’s program and the demands of the site, the zoning envelope. First we arrived at the notion of the boxes themselves; each one represents a specific piece of the program developed by the Museum.

Then we tried shifting the boxes to render the inside of the building more accommodating and open, with more possibilities for daylight to enter spaces and views to appear at various points in the interiors.

We designed the building from the inside out, based upon our understanding of the Museum’s needs.

Because of the kind of art the Museum shows and the curatorial approach they take, we wanted to design simple spaces – spaces without columns and with a lot of possibilities for different configurations, for placement of temporary dividing walls, and so forth – that would provide the widest range of options.

We do not believe that a building should overwhelm or compete with the art presented within it, particularly when it comes to contemporary art.  So we have tried to make spaces that are inviting but straightforward.”

Joelle’s Tips:

The Museum: New Museum 235 Bowery New York, NY 10002 / 212.219.1222
New York, NY 10002

The Architects: Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa SANAA LTD.
The Associate architects: Guggenheimer Architects, New York
The Project architect: Florian Idenburg
The Structural engineer: Guy Nordenson

The Main Photo:  photo of SANAA architect Kazuyo Sejima by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue (via Curbed). She’s holding a model of the building in her palm of her hand .